Cirrus@Austlit

'This is the story of the French explorer Nicolas Baudin’s voyage around New Holland in the opening years of the 1800s. The story is told by Charles-Alexandre Lesueur, one of the artists on the journey. It is a story of storm and sickness, damaged and leaky ships, deaths and drownings, poor food and lack of water and general discontent among those on board. However, it is also a story of exciting discoveries of the great beauty of landscape, fauna and flora, and meetings with the resident native peoples.

'Most people know of the meeting that took place between Matthew Finders and Nicolas Baudin at Encounter Bay. Other than that, Baudin’s voyage was largely ignored in Australian history until the 200th anniversary of the trip when it was celebrated with many prestigious publications. In this small novel, the author imagines an alternative view.' (Publication summary)

'Abraham Ortelius was a map maker in the 1500s in Antwerp. His chief claim to fame was that he made the first map book, now called an atlas. Abraham had a huge circle of family, colleagues, friends and acquaintances. He was an avid humanist who met regularly to discuss humanist issues. His friends included geographers and map makers, printers, painters, engravers, poets and clergymen who lived all over Europe; many of them were also well known figures. He travelled Europe to obtain maps and to further his many other interests. Politics, both church and state, made the Netherlands an unsafe place to live during the sixteenth century, as Spain sought to control the Netherlands and the Catholic Church and headed the Inquisition. Abraham found it necessary on several occasions to flee what was happening in Antwerp at the time. While based on fact, this is essentially a fictional story.' (Publication summary)

'Not Forgotten is the story of Mick Mack, a reluctant soldier who went to World War I as a stretcher bearer. He entered the war late, a few months before the catastrophic underground explosions in the hills of Messines, and he never came home. It is also the story of his family discovering later who their great grand-father was and his part in the war. They are surprised to know that he carried a photo of a beautiful French girl in the pocket of his uniform…' (Publication summary)

'This story of the author’s grandparents, Heinrich Simon Breuer and Margaret née Harper, is based on letters found in the Australian Archives.' (Publication summary)

'Tales from Port Vic & other stories is a collection of imaginative stories with a twist at the end. In the first section are stories from the author's childhood in Port Victoria, stories based on fact but with a vivid imaginative component included. The second section contains family stories, from Margaret's own wider family and those of a couple of friends. The third section is of fictional stories based on historical facts. The final section is inspired by the TV series Antiques Roadshow and some stories from British magazines. They imagine how some of the treasures of the TV series originated and came to be today. Margaret Bolton's other books include Not Another Nun's Story, Mother & Son and Start With a Coffee.' (Publication summary)